Merry Christmas from the Smiths
You, our friends and family, are such a
blessing to us! Last year I took a sabbatical from “the letter”, but now
realize what a JOY it is to get yours!!!
So here are the highlights for 2016!!
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Fall 2015 we found out from Aaron and
Shannon we were going to be grandparents for the first time in April!!!
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On Christmas eve last year Lance proposed
to Caitlin and she said YES!!
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A New Year’s Christmas was hosted at
Caitlin’s place in Belton, MO with all of us taking over the Haskell girl’s
home for the weekend. I hope they aren’t still in shock!! They were such
gracious hosts and Kansas City over the holidays was wonderful!!
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April 6th at 12: 04 am, our
sweet spunky little, Kaia Esther Poor Bear was born in Sioux Falls, SD. She is
the light of our lives and has stolen more hearts than should be legal in her
short 8 months!!
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Spring turned to summer quickly and on June
10th in Lenexa, Kansas surrounded by family and friends, Lance and
Caitlin, got married! What a fun and very HOT day to celebrate these two and
their marriage!! Waldo and I took a mini vacation the next week as we went back
to play with little Kaia in George, IA and then to Buchanan, MI to celebrate
Lance and Caitie once again with the Michigan family and friends at a beautiful
reception put on by Lance’s parents, Tim and Tammy!! It was fun to see a part
of the country we had never been to and to meet more of Lance’s family and
friends! Lake Michigan was so beautiful in June!!
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Summer was filled with time with Shannon
and Kaia as Aaron started in June working for Indian University of North
America at Crazy Horse Monument near Custer, SD. It was ‘tough’ getting to spoil Kaia, but I
think we did a good job!! What a joy it is to see our kids being such good
parents and letting us help where we can!!
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Waldo and I spent Labor Day weekend with
Lance and Caitie at their new place in Bolivar, MO. Lance is in an apprenticeship program with S.O.A.R.-Service
Oriented Aviation Readiness. It’s a 30 month program that trains him to be to
be a missionary aviation mechanic and pilot. Caitlin is working at the Bank of
Bolivar and they have just recently moved to a new bigger home in town.
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After so much activity and being gone so
much of the summer, it was good to be back in Laramie for some fall hiking,
beautiful fall colors and reconnecting with friends!!
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Thanksgiving had us all at Allison and
Jeremiah’s place in Lincoln! Our crew is growing and the weekend is always
filled with games, food, movies, puzzles, Husker football and volleyball!! Kaia couldn’t figure out why Allison and
Jeremiah’s kitties didn’t want to play with her!! Jeremiah is still a student at UNL and working
fulltime on campus in information technology.
Allison continues to work as a scholarship specialist at Education Quest
in downtown Lincoln. They love to travel and are counting down the days to
seeing “Hamilton the Musical” in Chicago this March!!
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Most of you know, but maybe some don’t…
Waldo took a new job with Wyoming Women’s Business Center here in Laramie in January of 2015. He is the director of micro-lending and a
business counselor for them and he just recently took up substitute bus driving
a couple of days a week for the school district again.
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Mel is still working in women’s ministry
and helping with MOPS when she’s not off playing with Kaia!! Being a grandma is the BEST!!
As each of you look back on your year and
forward to Christmas we pray you will see God’s hand and heart all over your
lives!! We are so THANKFUL for each of you and wish for you and yours a
wonderful and blessed Christmas and 2017!!
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